Falls are a major risk factor as people age. Falls may result in fractures of the back, hip, knee, ankle, and other body parts. When an injury does occur, a patient may have a surgical procedure to repair the fracture or even replace the affected joint. Following surgery the patient typically receives physical therapy for a short period prior to being discharged from the hospital. During therapy, the patient is trained on how to safely and correctly ambulate using an assistive device (i.e. walker, cane, crutches) on level terrain and uneven terrain such as curbs or stairs. Patient education in this acute setting is sometimes difficult because of other physical or mental issues occurring concurrently. For example, a patient may be in severe pain or heavily medicated, thus impairing his or her ability to retain instruction. For some patients, there may also be a language barrier between the patient and his or her therapist, further impairing the patient's ability to comprehend and retain the provided education. The patient's inability to remember their training on proper ambulation and use of their assistive device may result in additional falls or further injury once they are discharged. These additional injuries can result in re-hospitalization, additional surgeries, increased pain, and longer recovery times for the patient.
When a patient is discharged home from the hospital, the patient is often set-up for Home Health Physical Therapy. Upon evaluation by the home health therapist, patients are frequently noted to be ambulating incorrectly. When the patients are asked why they are walking incorrectly, most patients say they forgot what they were taught or how they were trained, or that they had not understood the teaching provided by the acute therapist due to a language barrier. Other patients also cite their heavy medication and the multitude of discharge instructions provided at one time as the source of their confusion. A patient's primary goal when receiving physical therapy at home is to be independent and safe with all activities in the home and in the community with their families, thus avoiding further falls and injury.
Errors frequently noted in a patient's ambulation are:    Placing the wrong foot forward when ambulating on even terrain; and    Going up or down stairs and curbs leading with the wrong footThere is a lack of visual instruction and physical training tools on how to ambulate correctly when patients are discharged from the hospital. If these training tools were available, they could reduce the risk of further injury and improve a patient's overall quality of life. The present invention addresses that need and serves to benefit English and non-English speaking patients.
The present invention discloses a wearable garment used in pairs which acts as a training tool, providing visual cues to patients and helping them to ambulate correctly using an assistive device.